Detachable loop-type key holder for key cases



April 24, 1951 T. A. BUCKLEY DETACHABLE LOOP-TYPE KEY HOLDER FOR KEY CASES Filed Aug. 9, 1947 INVENTOR fi o/v45 A .Bucn 0 ATTORNEYS shown in Fig. 1, looking Patented Apr. 24, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DETACHABLE LOOP-TYPE KEY HOLDER FOR KEY CASES Thomas A. Buckley, Longmeadow, Mass, as- H signorto Buxton, Incorporated, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 9, 1947, Serial No. 767,802

1 Claim. (Cl. 70-456 "This invention relates to a key holder of the closed loop type, adapted to be releasably connected to the key supporting structure of a key case.

' Theprincipalobjects of my invention'are to provide a key holder of the above type which is supporting structure of the key case.

' Other and further objects residing in the details of the structure will be made apparent in the following specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a key holder embodying my invention;

- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View showing theloop connected to the supporting structure of a key case; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified structure;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing an alternative structure; 7 v

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view showing another alternative structure; and

Fig. 9 is a view showing the manner of in-' 'moreeconomical to manufacture and one which will operate in a more efficient manner in the troducing a key into the holder prior to the connection of the holder to the supporting structure of the key case.

Thekey holder is made from a single strip or of the strip are each pressed, or otherwise shaped, to the form of a hollow hemisphere as 'at I and 2 and the central portion of the strip is bent to form a closed loop as at 3 and to bring the hemispheres into face to facerelation, the contacting hemispheres forming a substantially spherical head as generally indicated at 4. The portions of the strip 5 and 6, intermediate the loop and the head-forming hemispheres, are bent into substantially parallel face to face relation to form a shank portion, as indicated at I. The hemispheres and shank forming portions are normally held in closed, contacting relation by the spring piece of fl at spring material. The end portions action of the material of which the loop is.

formed.

In use a key is positioned on the loop and the "head 4 is connected to the key support 8 of a key case 9, as shown in Fig. 5. The key support 8 may take any suitable form, that shown com prising a hollow generally cylindrical member In provided with a slot I I having an enlarged opening I2 through which the head 4 0f the holder is introduced into the cylinder, the shank I turning and swinging in the slot I I to provide for the desired manipulative movement of the holder in the use of the key.

In the manipulative movements of the key, a twisting movement is frequently imposed on the sides of the loop which tend to displace the hemispheres in the plane of their contact, that is to cause one to slide past the oth'er. Such displacement interferes with the desired freedom of movement of the head and shank in the support, and tends to cause undue wear of both the holder and support. I

I v It has been proposed, as disclosed in the prior patent to Warner R. Buxton, No. 2,018,009, to preventjthis sidewise displacement of the head forming members, by providing the engaging faces of the head 'forming members with interengaging project ons and depressions. Thishas proved reasonably effective when the spring pressure, exerted by the material of the loop, which acts to hold the head formin members together is substantial, This'has required a relatively heavy loop, formed of, high duality. spring steel, which has increased the materialcost and the diflicultvof shaping the head and loop. In many cases the duality of the steel used for this purpose has been higher than is needed for the .proper functioning of the loops in all other respects.

I have found that the forceoi the spring action necessary to hold the head members in place and therefore the wei ht and spring quality of material of which the loop is formed ma be reduced,

and brought more into l ne with the other reouirements of the structure. by locating the interlocking means in the shank portion and spacing it sufficiently from the head to position it outwardly of the supporting means of the key case. I have-further found that by also spacing the locking means a proper distance from the en--' trance to the loop, a more positive locking means may be used without interfering with the insertion or removal of the key into or from the loop of the holder.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a portion I3 of shank member 5 is pressed inwardly forming a projection which engages in a depression .formed by pressing a. portion I4 of shank 6 outwardly, as best shown in Fig. 3. The portions I3 and 14 form interengaging portions which prevent relative movement of the cupped ends I and 2 in the plane of their contact.

In Fig. 6 the outwardly pressed member [4 is replaced by an opening l5 formed in shank member 6, in which the projection l3 engages. In Fig. 7 the projection 13 is replaced by a small tongue [6 bent inwardly from the material of shank 5 and engaging in opening 15 of shank member 6. e

An alternative form of interlock is shown in Fig. 8 in which a portion of one of the shank members 6 is reduced in width as by cuts H. The corresponding portion of the other shank member 5 is then crimped orbent inwardly into the cuts l'l forming small projections 18 which embrace the portions of shank member 6 between the cuts I1.

It will be seen that in all of the forms described the lock against sidewise movement of the head forming hemispherical members is positioned closely adjacent the loop portion of the holder where the twisting action tending to slide the head members originates. The forces tending to displace the shank members sidewise are thus not increased by the leverage advantage which is present when the lock is placed in the head as in prior construction. Moreover the spring force acting directly to hold the shank members together is greater near the loop than at the more remote head and the depth of interlock necessary to maintain the parts sidewise movement is less. As a result the spring action need be only sufiicient to maintain the loop closed against usual movement of the keys on the loop. This makes possible a light and less expensive loop construction and greater ease in placing keys in, or removing them from the loop.

In placing the keys on the loop the handle portion I9 of the key is inserted in the loop as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. The key is then moved upwardly until the head members are on opposite sides of the opening 20 in the key when the latter is tipped ,over to thread one of the head and shank members through the opening in an obvious manner. The separation of the shank members and of the locking members carriedlthereby, in placing akey on the loop and in removing it therefrom, is effected by the wedging engagementof the outer or inner edge of the key handle in the loop exit indicated at 2|. The shank lock is preferably spaced from the entrance only sufiiciently to assure that the interlocking members are completely separated 4 from each other when the edge of the key reaches the look. This spacing as well as the size and thickness of the parts have been exaggerated in the drawings for the sake of clearness. As is apparent in the drawings the projecting member of the lock in each case presents an inclined or curved surface to the advancing edge of the key as it enters or leaves the loop facilitating the passage of the key past the lock.

I claim:

A key holder of the closed loop-type having an enlarged head at the free ends of the loop by which the holder is releasably held within the supporting mechanism of a key case which comprises'a strip of flat'spring material having enlarged ends in the form of hollow substantially semi-spherical cups the intermediate portion of the'strip being bent into the form of a loop with the open sides of the cupped ends held in contact with each other to normally form a substantially spherical head by the inherent spring of the material, the portions of the strip adjacent the cupped ends lying in fiat face to face contact to form a shank portion intermediate said head. andthe loop, one portion of the strip forming the shank being formed witha projection and the other shank forming portion being formed with a recess to receive the projection to prevent relative movement of the cupped ends in the plane of their contact, said projection and recess being confined to a portion of the shank spaced from both the cupped ends and the exit from the loop, whereby the entrance to the loop will be positionedwithin the supporting mechanism while'the said projection and recess Will be positioned outwardly of said mechanism, the side of the projection toward the loop being inclined in the direction of the head.

THOMAS A. BUCKLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

